McDade-Murtha Provision Would Create "Corrupt Politicians'
Protection Board" to Help Shield Members of Congress From Federal
Prosecution

U.S. Representatives Joe McDade (R-PA) and John Murtha (D-PA) have attached
a provision to the House Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary appropriations
bill -- dubbed the "Corrupt Politicians' Protection Board" --
which could help corrupt Members of Congress interfere with federal prosecutions
against them.

The McDade-Murtha provision would establish a Justice Department "Misconduct
Review Board" with extraordinarily broad subpoena powers to demand
secret information about ongoing federal criminal investigations, and to
harass federal prosecutors. Information, evidence, and testimony obtained
by the Board -- including grand jury testimony, investigative files, identities
of potential witnesses, and information covered by the Privacy Act -- would
presumably leak to a Member of Congress facing federal prosecution, because
the Board would have two non-voting Republicans and Democrats appointed
by congressional leaders, and Board meetings would be open to the public.

"The Corrupt Politicians' Protection Board is a corrupt Washington
politician's dream come true," said Gary Ruskin, director of the Congressional
Accountability Project. "It would help corrupt politicians and other
politically powerful defendants to interfere with and to subvert federal
prosecutions against them."

Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) has announced that he will offer an amendment
to strip the McDade-Murtha provision, the so-called "Citizens Protection
Act of 1998," from the House Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary
appropriations bill (H.R. 4276). The House is expected to vote on the Hutchinson
Amendment on Tuesday, or perhaps Wednesday.

"We urge citizens to call their House Members in support of the
Hutchison Amendment to prevent Washington politicians from enacting the
Corrupt Politicians Protection Board," Ruskin said.

Attorney General Janet Reno will urge President Clinton to veto the
entire Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary appropriations bill if it
includes the McDade-Murtha provision. Last week, Associate Attorney General
Raymond Fisher said that the provision is "fatally flawed" and
that it could have "disastrous" effects. Fisher said that the
Board could intervene in a case "on the basis of vague allegations
against department attorneys and would enable the targets of investigations,
and their attorneys, to obtain access to all of the evidence obtained by
the government, including the identities of potential witnesses or confidential
informants."

The McDade-Murtha provision is opposed by Attorney General Janet Reno,
FBI Director Louis Freeh, the National Sheriff's Association, FBI Agents
Association, Federal Criminal Investigators Association, National Association
of Attorneys General, National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys,
and other law enforcement groups.